UAE regulator demands greater transparency(Financial Times): The market regulator of the United Arab Emirates called on Thursday for increased disclosure ahead of the companies reporting season, asking for extra information on companies’ real estate and financial positions.

Emerging-market telecom buyers get picky (MarketWatch): As international telecommunications operators shelve expansion plans to preserve cash and the myth collapses that emerging-market economies are independent from their western counterparts, the face of dealmaking in telecom is changing rapidly.

Emerging markets face capital squeeze, action needed: IIF (Reuters): Private capital flows to emerging markets are set to drop by nearly two thirds in 2009 as the global economy makes its most extreme downturn since World War Two, the Institute of International Finance said on Tuesday.

The IIF is an association of financial services firms with 400 members worldwide.

The nation’s leaders “will do anything” to maintain an economic expansion of about 8 percent, the government’s target for creating jobs, said Huang Yiping, Asia economist at Citigroup Inc. in Hong Kong. The economy grew 9 percent for all of 2008 after a 13 percent expansion in 2007.

I do believe it is a significant issue. As I said earlier, I believe it is important for the United States and the global economy that our major trading partners operate with a flexible exchange rate system and that market forces determine the level of those exchange rates. I think that’s very important, and …when I have some time to think through how best to achieve that objective look forward to a chance to work with you and your colleagues on the committee on how we do that.

On Thursday, Geithner submitted written answers to the Senate Finance Committee.

Obama believes China manipulating yuan: Geithner(Reuters): President Barack Obama believes China is “manipulating” its currency, his choice to head the U.S. Treasury said on Thursday using a term the Bush administration had deliberately avoided for years to describe Beijing’s foreign exchange practices.

Under U.S. law, labeling China as a currency manipulator would require the Treasury Department to begin “expedited” negotiations with Beijing — either bilaterally or through the International Monetary Fund — to reduce China’s huge trade surplus with the United States and eliminate any “unfair” currency advantage.

Rookies make rookie mistakes. Our new President is not immune to this disease.
This is a situation where the US has known for a very long period of time that China has managed it’s currency. The US chooses not to name China as a manipulator for two reasons. One, China doesn’t meet the Treasury’s narrowly defined criteria. Two, China owns a lot of US Treasury, Agency, and overall debt securities. To engage in any action that would lead the Chinese to misunderstand actions by the US and therefore sell these holdings would be dangerous. But rookies do what rookies do: they make mistakes.
If this is indeed the new tactic being taken by the Obama administration, they will generate a weaker US currency and higher US bond yields. Not exactly what they should be doing in their first 100 days in office. This is the Obama’s first brush with the markets and they will quickly learn to exercise discretion in the future.

During his trip to China in December, Henry Paulson handled this issue with care while making the U.S. interests felt among Chinese leaders. Geithner has pushed the envelope. Nothing may come of this as both countries are stuck in an economic recession. The concern that China will sell its Treasury portfolio may be exaggerated. Who would they sell to and what would they buy?

He said Brazil, China and Turkey were very attractive markets in the current environment, as these economies stood to gain from monetary changes. “In Turkey, exports have been impacted by what’s happened in Europe, but they have quite a vibrant domestic economy and tourism,” he explained. “The key factor is the global decline in inflation and interest rates – Turkey has suffered from high interest rates in the past,” he said. “This decline is very good news for Turkey, which is one of the reasons why we’re pretty bullish.”

Shanghai glistens in the gloom (Reuters): Shanghai was the only bright spot in a gloomy week for Asia-Pacific equities as sentiment improved amid growing bank loans and hopes for a stimulus plan for China’s machinery makers.

Satyam saga jolts Sensex (Economic Times): The Satyam financial fiasco has dragged down the Indian stock market to its fifth biggest fall in percentage terms in the last 14 years, a SundayET analysis. Even the recent Mumbai terror attack (26/11), attack on America’s World Trade Centre (9/11), and dot com bubble burst had lesser impact on Dalal Street.

The Sensex fell as much as 7.25% on January 7, 2009, after Satyam Computer Services’ erstwhile chairman B Ramalinga Raju confessed to an accounting fraud. The analysis captures how the Indian equity market behaved in the face of major events in Indian history. For the calculation, closing index figures have been considered since 1995.”

Brace yourself: Political-market risks in 2009 (Reuters): There are a number of macro risks that will continue to grab headlines in 2009, including the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, cross-border tensions and state instability in Pakistan, and Iran’s ongoing quest to develop advanced nuclear technologies.

Chinese companies go abroad (Seking Alpha): Just as a good China strategy is increasingly important to the continued growth and competitiveness of MNCs worldwide, expansion overseas is a top priority for many of China’s leading firms.